Goat Wrangling

The first morning of the goats' arrival I was worried how they survived the night. The kids were hidden beneath the eastern shelter belt while Xena Warrior Doe had wandered back and was watching them through the fence at the front of my place before disappearing when she saw me. My landlord called in just after 8am to say he'd found her near the woolshed and corralled her in a small field until they could bring her back to me as she was a "bit frisky" (ie. stubborn and pig headed). I had to head out to a workshop in Hastings so didn't see the performance when they mustered her into a holding paddock next to me. I went in hopefully near dusk armed with a horse halter and long rope but ended up watching a white goat boinging into the distance followed by one mad sheep who was with her. At one point I actually cornered the goat up on a pile of fence posts and tentatively moved towards her during the next 30 minutes while she looked from me to the sheep trying to decide who would be the better company. The sheep won.

When I got home late Tuesday there was a message from my landlord saying that if I needed help catching the goat to give him a call. I was too shattered to do anything that day so waited until Wednesday when I managed to get in touch with the landlord's son who promised to help one frazzled damsel in distress. Late afternoon I went out to see two shepherds laughing with one straddling an irate nanny. While they held her I put on a stronger leather collar which my friend's rottweiller had outgrown and tied a rope securely to this. When they released her the doe bounded away with two shepherds in hot pursuit before one held her and walked her towards the woodshed, tying her firmly to a warratah so that she couldn't escape.

Next morning I found the kids out feeding on the long grass in the orchard while the nanny made a determined effort to strangle herself when she saw me. I went out a couple more times that day and sat quietly nearby while the nanny stood atop the pile of wood in the shed giving me the evil eye. The kids couldn't make up their minds what to do so stood stock still with long grass hanging out of their mouths. I took apples and bread for them but these were left untouched for the chickens to finish as apparently my reputation as a goat poisoner had preceded me. Now I just have to convince them I am actually a goat whisperer.

"You've Got Goats"

John had a look at some angora x goats I'd found on Trademe a couple of weeks ago but had to wait for the owner to round them up so he could collect a couple for me. He and Marg arrived here just after lunch with three girls in a sheep grate on a trailer. There was an older female of a year old with two smaller kids. They looked so much like Toby it hurt.

As they hadn't had a great deal of contact with humans they were somewhat wary but I put my hand in through the wire netting so they could get my scent before going to "help" John and Marg fix my front fence which was definitely not goat proof. John painfully snipped wires off a 100 year old post covered with lichen that had broken off at the bottom. There was a newer corner post alongside this (probably only a mere 50 years old) so he secured the wire onto this. We then went round the back of the wash shed where I'd found a very rickety old gate from early last century. We rehung this near the woodshed which Marg informed me would have originally been a cow bail where the house cow was milked.

There was also a gap along the boundary fence so John constructed a blockade there with cage wire and more old wood to stop the goats getting down to the hen house. All this was designed so that I could keep them confined in a small area in order to tame them down.

After a cup of tea and a chat inside Marg leapt up into the trailer and grabbed a kid which John sat on my knee so he could dose it and put a blue Snoopy collar on. The next kid was slightly larger so he grappled with it and we then took them along to the now secure small apple orchard next to the house and let them go. They both boinged their way over the grass and hid behind the woodshed.

The larger doe was lying down on the trailer and looking decidedly put out. John dosed and collared her like the others and then let her go as well. As he and Marg proceeded to empty out some firewood they'd brought for me I tried to see what the goats were doing. The older female had spied some sheep next door and ran to the boundary fence under the shelter belt. I then heard a sharp "twang" but couldn't see what had happened although I could half spy the two kids looking wistfully through the fence. I went round the front into the field next door in time to see the doe galloping like mad from my place towards the sheep. Mishka and I tried to round her up but she rushed past me along the front of my place before disappearing beneath some trees. I spent the next half hour wandering down amongst the farm buildings trying to find the she devil but there was no sign of her.

By the time I got back to the house it was getting cold and dark and Marg and John were preparing to drive back to Napier. John did make the suggestion that if I can't get her tamed down he would bring a rifle next visit. I went inside and rang my landlord and he has promised to get the doe mustered tomorrow. Then I will have to tie her up so that she doesn't make another break for freedom before I can make friends with her. One thing about owning goats- it's never boring!

Gardening Amongst The Icicles

I remembered this week why I don't like winter. Cold rain and heavy frosts being two of the main reasons. After going out two days running in freezing rain at the beginning of the week I was relieved to be able to stay home huddled by the fire on Wednesday as we suffered one of the heaviest frosts we've had so far this winter. Now we're in the middle of a torrential downpour with more forecast to come over the weekend. Mishka and Demelza are cuddled up together in front of the fire, Peaches is asleep on a cushion in the dining room while Gypsy sleeps on a wheatpack in the sitting room with Kit curled up on an armchair.

I have been trying to get some plants in before the worst of the weather hits. The old sandpit in the middle of the lawn is now a veggie garden but because the hens are still not contained I have had to go to drastic measures to protect my plants. I have put three bottomless wire cages and shadecloth over the Queen Violet broccoli, gourmet lettuce and coloured silverbeet I've planted for the Spring. So far they've survived.

My sister in law has also given me a few cuttings from her garden. Three pink Marguerite daisies in a pot plus several varieties of different succulent plants. I plonked four of these in the dry garden by the front gate. They look quite good by the large rocks someone had arranged there years ago. This part of the garden runs along the east side of the property and is pretty much barren due to two large trees and a baby Cabbage tree which must suck all the goodness out of the soil. I have tried to mulch the soil but the chooks keep getting in there and chucking it out onto the driveway.

Big excitement today though was running into Gay in Waipawa on the way home from my portraiture class and learning that Rachel has been talking to our new mailman and he is going to bring my mail down to the house rather than my having to make my ten minute trip up to the road to collect it. I am so relieved as that daily trip was a bit much for me, especially if I had been out and was tired. Rural contractors are often very caring people and helpful to country residents, even bringing shopping to them from town. I still miss the guy I had at Craggy Range Road as he would even bring my mail to the back door if it was raining! Talk about great service.

Cat On A Hot Wheatpack

Cats are definitely opportunists and they do tend to look after number one. Especially when it comes to keeping warm. Demelza follows the sun round all day, first sitting in the front door before venturing out on the verandah into the morning warmth. She then goes into the garden and works her way around the house as the sun moves towards the back.
Gypsy however is a great fan of technology. As a youngster she used to curl up asleep on the computer monitor. In winter she wakes me up in the early hours wailing until I let her crawl into bed so she can benefit from the effects of the electric blanket. However now she has discovered my wheatpacks. I leave them discarded on the sofa for just a minute so I can either get a drink or make a pit stop, only to come back and find Gypsy neatly enscounced on top of them. As to all appearances she seems to have suddenly fallen into a deep sleep from which it would be downright cruel to wake her I have to wait until she gets up before I can retrieve them. One thing I do know- she's not only toasty warm but she won't have a painful bone in her body!